Our Children Weep
By Kathy McKenzie 2001


Our children swear,
The Spirits weep.

Our children are sick,
The Spirits weep.

Our children are alone,
Walking the streets,
The Spirits weep.

There is selfishness
and greed,
Greed for power
and money:
Our children,
our elders alone,
They weep.

It is time to fight!
Wage a war against what we see,
The wicked in
our own family.

The most precious, priceless gifts
Given to us:
Our children,
They are not held, loved, tutored,
Nurtured, taught so….
What kind of
parents will
These children be?

I told a child I had something for her.
She asked, “Candy?”
I said, “No.”
“Toys?”
I said, “No.”
She said excitedly,
“I know!”



I asked,
“What do I have?”
“You get to take me home with you,”
she said.
I wanted to say yes.
But, she was not mine.


I held her close,
And I cried.
She has no one to love,
As love should be.
She has a partying, drinking family.
She sees abuse everyday,
Swearing, calling names, and
Lots of touching:
Not in the right way.

Hitting, fighting
That is, what love is
To her today.

Her family’s hearts
are black
With this greed, envy and hate.
I can see the redness
of her heart.
How long will it stay that way?

As Spirits watch
They can see.
Spirit will take care
of things,
Just wait and believe!






I fight this battle
Why you say…

For someday my
reward will be
When that child comes up to me, to say,
Auntie, I love you!
Miigwitch (Thank you),
for helping me
To have a red heart
like you and
Helping me, to be,
All that I am to be.


This battle is for those
You know who you are.

It is not the color
of your skin
For if your heart is red,
That is where
the power is!